Servant Eleanore bursts through the door while clutching her stomach, blood soaking her grey woolen kirtle.

  “Princess..” She breathes out, collapsing.

  Thick arms encircled in direwolf skin vambraces caught her mid-fall, the almost herculean figure holding up her entire weight with zero effort.

  The sleek restful eyes of Princess Maya transform into that of shock and horror, aghast at what she is witnessing, before scurrying over to the door to assist.

  “Eleanore.” She asks through bated breath. “What in the deity’s name happened to you?”

  Moments pass before the servant finally responds.

  “There’s been a breach.”

  Her head tilts down and her whole body went limp.

  Lifeless.

  Maya looks at the Batin holding up the lady - a robust man sworn to be the right-hand of the princess until death - an explosion shudders the walls of the castle.

  With fear shaking her voice and anxiety that twisted her brow.

  “With me, Nikolai.” She says to the man after helping him lay the lady down on the carpet.

  He simply nods in response.

  Her legs brush through the cool castle air as she lifts her skirt up, with royal lace-up heels contouring her toned legs. Desperate to get to the royal court chambers.

  Each explosion sent shockwaves through the rooms, rattling the ornate furniture and decorations.

  The pair reach the bottom of the grand staircase as they witness the chaos of workers and soldiers below them.

  All desperate to make sense of what is going on.

  A Stellar Warrior halts mid-run to instinctively give a quick bow to the princess.

  Before turning his back to her and running to his post.

  The familiar loud creak echoes through the grand court chambers as its massive doors swing open to reveal a long round table, seating some members of the royal court.

  The Empress and Emperor stood on high alert at the farthest end of the room.

  “Mother…Father.” Maya yells out from the entrance.

  “Guards! Get to damn work! Block the entries, now!” He ferociously barks.

  Maya and her Batin only got near the centre of the long varnished table before another explosion rocks the entire room. This time the blast shattering the chamber’s wall and throwing rubble into the air.

  The pair gets thrown across to the opposite end of the hall, away from the source of the explosion.

  A large gaping hole was left in one of the stone walls, smoke and dust filling the air as multiple soldiers of the rebellion streamed through, waving their weapons in the air and yelling all manners of abuse at the top of their lungs.

  The room was now parted in half.

  One side bearing a theme of iron and gray from the plates of armour, while the other a mixture of brown and bronze armour plates, thick leather, and an assortment of coloured uniforms.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Emperor Madura simply raises a palm to the air.

  “SILENCE!” He yells..

  And almost instantly, dead silence.

  “What is the meaning of this?”

  A middle-aged man shouldering a thick cape and two katanas by his hip steps out. Face rugged, and chest puffed. His war helmet wrapped around his arm to his side.

  A sheepish wide smile spreads across his lips as he unsheathes one of his blades and points it at the Emperor.

  “Hah!” He spurts out.

  Blade still pointed at the throne. Intention very clear.

  “Your ignorance sickens us!” The man spat out, before letting out a roar as he pierces his blade into the air.

  The mountain of men behind him join in and yell out in unison, now also unsheathing their weapons and waving them in the air.

  Sounds of yelling and the clash of steel and flesh fill the room as the two opposing hordes charge at each other and collide.

  Nikolai helps the princess up off the floor, dust and rubble clinging onto her dark-red hair as the two clamber back to their feet.

  A solo rebellion soldier from the crowd in tribal fur armour strays from the crowd and begins charging at the princess, a motivated war cry escaping his mouth as he gets closer.

  Very close.

  But, not close enough.

  Nikolai stoically takes a step in front of the princess, before the familiar sounding rattle of steel shakes the air around her. The rebel was stopped in his tracks before he could even swing his blade for the vicious kill.

  Blood explodes into the air.

  Once again in the afternoon, the princess’ eyes gape open in shock and horror. This time with her innocence shattering after witnessing her first ever kill of Nikolai’s. Fresh speckles of blood settling on her face.

  A firm grip by giant gloved hands wrap around her forearms as Nikolai drags her towards the throne.

  And then, abruptly stopping.

  The Emperor has his hand held out in front of him again. This time palm directed at the pair.

  Gentle clear-like flames of blue aura started waving about Maya’s left hand, hidden behind her, but making it obvious enough for her parents to see.

  Empress Madura calmly shakes her head at the two as she silently stands next to her Emperor.

  An undeniable somber look covering her face.

  The man that led the start of the carnage of the rebels makes his way through the crowd. This time his helmet donned on and his blade stained red. Coming to a stop as he gets within earshot of the royal family.

  The three groups stood apart, each almost the same distance from the others, forming a loose triangle in the centre.

  Another small pause.

  Maya’s eyes starts to well up with tears as she realised what was happening - and what her father and mother had already decided.

  She shakes her head in disbelief.

  “N-no!.. Why?” She stammers loudly, fighting back tears. “We can fix this.” Her throat now tight with emotion.

  “It’s okay, Maya. We will be okay.” Her father responds, calmly. “You just leave. If you leave now we will find each other again.”

  “No, no, no!” She wails. “I shall not accept this. We can figure something out with them. Like we always do!” Referring to the rebel clan factions gathered and battling in their chambers.

  Crunching sounds of rubble are heard as thick hide boots take a step closer towards them.

  “Yes..” The voice calmly says.

  It was the rebellion’s leader.

  “Yes.. Why don’t we talk this out, hm?” The man continues. This time sheathing his blade and holding his arms out to his sides in a disarming manner.

  Maya’s lips almost twisted into a smile, as a brief sense of relief washes over her.

  “S-see, Father?” Nikolai releases her arm as she points to the rebel once more. “W-we can figure out what to do from here, right? Please just stop the fighting!”

  Now begging.

  A small grin purses the man’s lips as he responds.

  “Sure.”

  Calmly.

  Too calmly.

  Loudly whistling as it pierces through the air, the thick wooded-handled javelin throws the Emperor back onto his throne, having found its target.

  The visceral sounding thump of human flesh and royal armour clashing against hardwood soon followed.

  And his loud gasp.

  Madura’s Emperor takes one final look at his daughter, his open-eyed stare now permanent, his soul having left his body..

  The Empress lets out a wail..

  A single feather twisted and turned in the air.

  The world had changed-

  And she understood in that frozen moment, that the castle is no longer her home.

  The feather lands at her feet.

  And her father did not rise again.